Video: An ObamaCare Chorus Line

posted at 1:00 pm on August 22, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

A Broadway-themed palette cleanser, of sorts, with apologies to Michael Bennett, as Grand Rants notes. Surprisingly, the classic song from A Chorus Line holds up pretty well as a paean to Barack Obama and the single-payer health system he desires so much. If the slideshow gets a little weak at times, the lyrics make it worthwhile:

You can find all of the lyrics at the YouTube entry, but the finale’s the winner:

One single payer system covers every healthcare need
No time to read the bill just pass Obama Care
But it sounds a little socialistic
This pig is gonna need some lipstick
Obama-care

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I don’t want my palate cleansed; I want the government ‘cleansed’ by whatever means necessary

Janos Hunyadi on August 22, 2009 at 1:03 PM

Seconded.

My father is a surgeon and is a partner of a large surgery center. They’ve had lawyers go over the bill to see how it would effect them. Anyway, he was giving me a basic run down and what’s in the bill is just not good.

The problem is though, the debate is over. We can’t reach the idiots on the otherside. They have droped out, turned off, and tuned out.

I don’t want palate cleansers. I don’t want nuanced debate. These people are the enemy and they will say and do anything to get what they want. You can’t fight lies with facts, when the useful idiots believe the facts are lies.

What I want is leadership to tell me what I can personally do to stop this bill.

Where do I show up? Who do I write? Tell me what I can do to stop this.

I would be interested to hear what the findings were from your father’s inquiry.

txag92 on August 22, 2009 at 1:18 PM

Well, he was going on and on about shoulder surgery and how medical advancement will stagnate. Basically, he was explaining that what happens is a surgery is seen as not cost effective and then it is not approved either to high risk or low patient out come.

The problem with this is over time the surgery begins to have a higher and higher success rate, becomes cheaper ect and better patient care is ensured.

He briefly mentioned how priority of healthcare would be decided by bureaucrats, and about coverage for illegals.

I’d have to ask him for more information, but basically the crux of the argument was that when you cut out the expensive/high risk surgeries and drugs you destroy medical advancement. As over time those treatments become cheaper and less risky.

This is a big deal for him, as right now his career is in 3 inch incision total hip replacements and he is one of the pioneers in that at the moment and doing a ton of seminars.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world

I will find it uproariously funny — not to mention a sign of hope for the nation — when Osama Obama and the greedy, self-centered criminals in Congress are removed from office. And, with luck, indicted on their way out.

I also agree with the commenters who say this stuff isn’t funny anymore.Glad I’m not alone.Didn’t even bother to watch.
Being halfway through Culture if Corruption,this sort of thing doesn’t cleanse my palate,it just pi**** me off

Oh, you want VISION and DENTAL as well. Well, that’s gonna cost EXTRA. IIRC, Medicare recipients went to Medicare Advantage in order to pick up their dental and vision care insurance. Oddly enough, that’s one of the programs Barry wants to abolish in order to ‘save money’. Neat, huh?

Every generation has made some mistakes, but our generation has become so negligent that we are leaving a bleek future for our children and grandchildren. For this reason, I think it is time to get dead serious. There are still humorous things in life, but our government is not one of those things.

I also agree with the commenters who say this stuff isn’t funny anymore.Glad I’m not alone.Didn’t even bother to watch.
Being halfway through Culture if Corruption,this sort of thing doesn’t cleanse my palate,it just pi**** me off

DDT on August 22, 2009

Maybe it’s Eds way of saying “why so serious?”.
I appreciate that he is optimistic that we can fend off this attack legislatively and move our country back, at least towards the center, via the ballot. I pray he’s right. But what if he’s not?
At what point…under what tyranny, will opiners and finger-pointers finally put down their pens and take up their swords? (Is it fair to even ask them to consider it?) This is why pundits and bloggers can serve a movement but can never actually lead. Their words can cut but they cannot draw blood.
Still, the disinclination to stand in harm’s way is not cowardice. Silence in the face of tyranny is cowardice and the Eds of the world are not silent. But should liberty be crushed and people be made serfs and still they talk of legislation and political tactics, then I will call them cowards. Until then, the cause of freedom needs reasoned voices as well as feet and fists. They also serve who only wag their tongues.

The only way to successfully cut despots and megalomaniacs down to size is to make fun of them so they become ridiculous. Why do you think Mel Brooks has so many Hitler gags in his movies? And, of course, it’s one of the themes of “The Producers.”

Personally it is not how it’s said- Say it cute, say it serious, just get out there and say it so as many people as possible can hear: No a single payer government controlled healthcare system is not better than what we have now. I would like to see Obama’s ears and nose grow a little with every bit of mis-information he himself puts out there though- that would be much easier foor people to evaluate his plan.

Aside, recently a friend visiting from England had been on antibiotics for 2-3 months to kill a lymphnode infection he got in March. He still has some inflamation 2 months after stopping the antibiotics. After he left and went back home he had a Dr appointment previously scheduled to check on this remaining mild inflamation. The doctor’s thoughts are that it’s just sludge left in his glands- how disconcerting but his Dr scheduled him for tests in 2 weeks and if they find anything they’ll schedule for follow-up in November??? This infection started in March! Discussing healthcare my friend seemed amazed that our healthcare allows me to have the ability with my insurance to visit a specialist of my choice when I want – granted I spend more for it- but to me it’s worth it if I ever needed to to use it. So far I haven’t. He doesn’t have that choice.

I like it. I think sometimes we need to laugh, and this had me laughing through the entire video.

I just came back from a Recess Rally held at that laff-riot-idiot Russ Carnahan’s office in St. Louis. It was a good event, lots of people showing up with signs and energy that they’re ready to use against ObamaCare. We laughed a lot and sang and waved our signs at hundreds of cars driving by, honking their horns in support of our cause. We also outnumbered the pro-ObamaCare people who showed up by about 50-1, and the passion was all on our side.

It doesn’t hurt to laugh a little along the way as we fight against ObamaCare. The other side is VERY GRIM. Let’s not emulate them.

Mel Brooks’ Hitler gags probably wouldn’t have been received too well in the 1940’s. The original To Be Or Not To Be certainly wasn’t.

Ronnie on August 22, 2009 at 3:52 PM

That may be true, but the film also had a pall cast over it because of the death of Carole Lombard. Around this same time, you also had “The Great Dictator,” “You Nazty Spy,” and “Der Fuhrer’s Face.” There was plenty of Hitler lampooning going on in the 1940s.

My daughter came in and was watching the video and asking questions. I tried to explain it was a joke and supposed to be funny but, not only did she not get it (she’s 6) but it sounded weird saying this stuff was a joke, I agree with everyone, it’s not one bit funny. Personally I’m a bit scared.

Firstly, thanks to Ed M. and the folks at Hot Air for the plug. This thing has taken off with the help of a lot of bloggers, facebookers, emailers, etc. I was hoping to see 10000 views before it was over, but am now at 200,000+ and in the top 3% in popularity. And still on an upward arc.

I do agree with those saying that this is deadly (perhaps literally so) serious, but ridicule is a potent weapon. Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals can work in more than one direction.

“#5. Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.”

Take a look at my comments section and see how crazy it makes some of them.

I’m a practicing physician and see that this would be bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for the economy. The only people it would be good for are the statists.

Hey, we all do what we can. I just happen to be good at writing smart aleck lyrics and music.

I do agree with those saying that this is deadly (perhaps literally so) serious, but ridicule is a potent weapon. Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals can work in more than one direction.

“#5. Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.”

Take a look at my comments section and see how crazy it makes some of them………..

misterdregs on August 22, 2009 at 7:08 PM

More and more I am seeing the Right adapt some form of the Alinsky methods in countering the Leftists, and it’s fun to wstch. I believe there is a value in taking the shell of their methods, inserting new contact, and using it against them. When I am discussing Cap and Trade with a liberal, my lead in NOW is typically “..why do you hate black people so much..? and I immediately explain how C&T is a retroactive tax and will impact the poor the most, and of course blacks and Hispanics are less rich than Whites, so C&T is an attack on them and their children. I tell them that “I can’t support a Government that takes food out of the mouthes of poor children…”

It’s a great video, but as a lover of theatre (and a conservative, honest—there are some of us!), I have to point out that Michael Bennett didn’t write the song. He just conceived, directed, and choreographed the show in which it appeared. The music for the original was written by Marvin Hamlisch, the lyrics by Edward Kleban.

I want this government replaced with a constitutional republic. I understand there is an unused document at the National Archives that we can use. Just needs some dusting off and a commitment to actually follow it.

I agree with those who think the situation is beyond humor. If humor becomes a vehicle to mock this, it begins to dilute the real danger this poses to our country. I’m convinced we aren’t just dealing with unintelligent and corrupt politicians, but real enemies of this country. Making light of the enemy only distracts from the gravity of their actions.

I love this stuff…different ways of reaching different people.
If it is clever, they email to their friends…spreading the word, in many “languages”, spreads the word further then one or two messages.
There are still many on the fence, and as we inundate them with different messages, all saying the same thing, it wears them down, it makes them re-think, it makes them aware…this is not unlike what the left does…late night comedians, newspapers, TV commentators, editorials, slanted news articles, movies, theater, Broadway, journalists, professors, unions…they have a plethora of ways of getting the message out, each one hitting a different demographic…nothing wrong with learning from someone who just kicked our ass…

It’s interesting that this comment section is the only place I have gotten any feedback chiding me for making light of what is obviously a very serious threat. And it is a significant minority here.

As I said before, I think ridicule is a potent weapon, especially against the self-important. And as right2bright stated very well, this sort of thing helps engage the unengaged, the apolitical and the apathetic.

This video totally worked for me because the music engaged me to my passion for theatre, having danced on stage in the past. For me, the humor is not in the subject itself, but in the art of satire. When I was in my teens, I thought Archie Bunker was offensive. I never understood why people laughed at his humor until one day my brother told me: “They’re laughing at his stupidity!!”. That totally scrambled my brain because I was not prepared to think beyond what I comprehended. I bought “Rules 4 Radicals” over the July 4th weekend and haven’t read it yet. I kinda like rule #5, so I’m gonna spend some time educating myself on how to scramble some snotty underdeveloped brains I encounter all too often. It’s MY turn now.